Geertz Summary

“We were intruders” begins Clifford Geertz in his anthropological study of the Balinese cockfight. He began with a narrative about his visit to a Balinese village with his wife. The villagers treated them as though they were invisible, merely spectators of their lives. It was not until they were part of a cockfight, a “celebrated phenomena”, that they became noticed in the community. It was there that Geertz saw the impact cockfighting on the Balinese culture.

           

            Cockfighting is not simply a battle between two Balinese livestock, but an identification of the owner. Although the Balinese are repulsed by animal-like behavior and punish those who act as so, their passion for their cocks can be extreme. He uses descriptive language to paint a picture of both the avid prepping of the cock and the scene at a cockfight including the ring where the fight is held and the bloody battle itself. Before the cockfight commences bets are made depending whether it is a “deep fight” or a “shallow fight.” Geertz disputes that the monetary aspect is not what drives the cockfight but rather the affect of the outcome on social status. It acts as a replication of the relationship between social groups. The Balinese will not bet against those of their own collective group which proves as a way to unify the village against outsiders. The main purpose of the cockfights is to allow for the Balinese to convey their aggression and competition spirits through a symbolic ritual. By doing so, the village men relay their “animal-like” tendencies on something more socially acceptable.

            The cockfight is an assembly of the Balinese performing a ritual which can be used to understand the Balinese culture. Geertz, as an anthropologist, uses this custom as a “text” to further decipher the social and cultural structure of Bali.